Apple's 2018 iPhone Could Use TSMC's 7nm Processor, Rumors Claim

Apple is one of the most important clients for Asian component suppliers, which is why there’s a fierce competition to win exclusivity over some of the hardware inside the iPhone.

For example, TSMC managed to win that exclusivity for the production of A10, the chipset inside the iPhone 7. The Taiwanese company achieved that due to its InFO packaging technique that allows the A10 to remain very thin, while at the same time delivering improved performance and efficiency.

However, the chipset is made on TSMC’s 16nm FinFET+ process, which is inferior to Samsung’s newly announced 10nm FinFET process. The latter will be used in the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor that should make its debut next year.

It’s clear that TSMC needs to refine its own process in order to win exclusivity over the production of the chipset that will be included in the next iPhones.

It’s unclear what company will score a contract with Apple next year, but TSMC has already confirmed th… (read more)